All Weather's
by XDracoMalfoysGirlX
Summary: In response to the weather challenge by verliebtindich on the forums. A series of one shot's. Draco and Luna meet in all weather's.
1. Thunder Storm

Thunder Storm

The black clouds scudded across the inky sky above Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Draco Malfoy cursed under his breath as he hurried over the wet grass, slipping and sliding on the muck and the leaves trying to keep his balance as he headed for the only spot of light on the horizon; the window of Hagrid's hut. Draco disliked Hagrid intensely, and it grated on his nerves that he was going to be forced to ask the half giant for help in returning to school.

Rain, icy cold needle's of rain pricked the exposed skin of his face, sharp and stinging causing him to shiver in his wet clothes. Teeth chattering, Draco pushed himself forward, blinking through his waterlogged eyelashes; the thunder rumbled over head like the growling of a dragon and the strong wind crashed into him, sending his slender body careening sideways into a patch of bushes.

This time, Draco cursed loudly, his words swallowed up by the wind and tossed away into the night like bits of confetti. Struggling with the bramble thorns which gripped at his clothes and ripped at the skin of his hands, Draco freed himself, and hurried to the little hut, the rain pelting him now; falling harder and faster filling the air around him, plastering his shirt to his body and chilling his skin.

Draco didn't bother to knock when he reached the door he simply grasped the metal handle with fingers that were so cold he didn't even register that the handle was wet and cold itself, Draco yanked open the door.

Stumbling into the light and warmth of Hagrid's home he issued his demand immediately. "You'll have to take me back to the castle. I can barely see a thing out there and I'm soaked through."

"It is rather dark out there now isn't it? I suspect that's why Hagrid isn't here, he's probably staying up at the castle. Dangerous to be out in this weather you know."

Draco stood there on the welcome mat dripping water everywhere and staring stupidly at Luna Lovegood who was sitting beside the fire. "You?"

"Me," she agreed with a sweet smile. "Did you get caught in the storm too, Draco?"

"Oh no," Draco responded scathingly, "I just love to go walking around in the thunder and the rain getting soaked to the skin."

Luna sighed quietly but choose to ignore his attitude. She stretched out her toes and wiggled them in the heat from the fire. "Why don't you take your wet things off, Draco and sit by the fire?"

Draco quirked and eyebrow and smirked at her. "Want to see me naked do you, Lovegood?"

"Not particularly," she replied completely unfazed, "there's a blanket there hanging over the chair, it's bound to be warmer than your wet clothes. That's why I took mine off," she pointed to her clothes she had hung up over a piece of rope that was strung up over the fire. Luna had suspected that Hagrid used that rope for the same purpose.

"Well I'm not changing with you sitting there staring at me!" Draco snapped, annoyed that _she_ had given him a perfectly valid way to get warm and dry, one that he had honestly not thought of. His annoyance hiked itself up a couple of notches when he saw Luna roll her eyes before she turned her back on him.

It was only then that Draco realised that he was shivering so much that his muscles were bunching and starting to ache from the strain. His teeth were chattering loudly in his head again now that he had stopped talking and he crossed the room to the blanket Luna had pointed out to him using it to rub at his blonde hair.

He glanced across at her. She was sat with her back to him angled towards the fire; her long, dirty blonde hair hung down her back; wet and bedraggled like rats tails. From the way it fell her hair obscured one shoulder but the other was left bare and slender with pale skin that glowed the colour of rich cream in the light of the fire.

Blinking, Draco turned away from Luna to concentrate on getting his clothes off. He was so cold that he could barely feel his fingers, they were numb, and he wiggled them for a moment trying to get his circulation to flow better. "Fuck it!" he hissed through clenched teeth when he couldn't seem to get a proper grip on the buttons of his shirt.

"Something wrong?" Luna queried running her own fingers through the knotted ends of her hair.

"I can't undo my buttons, my fingers don't work," he complained bitterly.

Luna stood up, wrapping the blanket around her toga style and turned to help him. "I'll do it, my fingers have thawed out. Considering it was a nice day today the temperature has really dropped, it must be below zero out there."

"You don't have to tell me," Draco retorted, "I was out there too."

"Just making conversation," Luna replied airily, again unfazed by his rudeness and concentrating on the buttons of his shirt. "Oh Draco, you're chilled to the bone," she exclaimed pressing her palm flat to his bare chest. "Let's hurry up and get that blanket round you, you'll catch a cold." Without warning Luna dropped her hands to his trousers and began to work on his belt. Draco managed to catch her eye and he expected her to blush and look away, what he got was the full force of Luna's unwavering stare. Her silvery grey eyes held to his, staring so intently at him that for an instant Draco thought she could see into his soul.

The belt jangled when she let it go and she popped the button effortlessly. Tiny fingers caught hold of the zip, the hiss sounded loud to Draco's ears as she unfastened his trousers and he was furious when he was the one to blush and look away.

"Can you mange on your own from here?"

"Yes," he spat out crossly.

Luna gave him a curious look, but then she simply shrugged and turned away to give him his privacy. Instead of going back to the fire, Luna went to the window; kneeling on a battered old trunk below it she rested her arms on the wide windowsill and stared out into the ever darkening night.

The light from the moon had been blocked out and everything seemed dark and sinister to Luna's over active imagination. The clouds broke suddenly and a beautiful electric blue lit up the sky just over the Forbidden Forest as lightening struck. It was followed by a deafening roar of thunder and Luna shuddered.

Draco, now with a blanket wrapped around him joined her at the window. White lightening came again, cracking the heavens in two, with smaller tendrils forking from it spreading across the sky and illuminating the tree tops.

"I hope the forest doesn't catch fire," Draco muttered.

Luna pursed her lips and gave him a long hard look. "I bet you always think the glass is half empty."

"It's a perfectly reasonable thought in weather like this," Draco defended himself.

"Yes, I suppose it is," Luna agreed. "It's powerful and majestic isn't it, nature I mean. At least, I've always thought so."

Draco grunted in response. It was just his luck that he was stuck here with the school lunatic. He supposed it could always have been worse, he could have Granger as a companion, Draco shuddered violently, how awful that would have been! Or Potter; Draco scowled at the mere thought of Potter, it was Potter's fault that he was stuck here as it was.

He had potions with Potter at the end of the day and all Slughorn could do for the entire lesson was simper and coo over Potter. Kissing his ass at every opportunity. It got right up Draco's nose so naturally he had to make a comment to Potter upon leaving the class, that had resulted in a fierce exchange of insults between him and Potter with the mudblood Granger sticking her nose in and trying to convince Potter to walk away, stating that he, Draco wasn't worth it! With his blood boiling and the urge to hex Potter into next week burning in the pit of his stomach, Draco had decided to go for a walk to calm down and then the storm had hit trapping him here with Lovegood.

Draco was pulled out of his thoughts when the thunder crashed with so much force that the windows rattled in their frames and lightening tore through the sky throwing Draco into a spotlight for a moment.

He left the window with the sound of the howling wind in his ears and sat next to Luna on the carpet before the fire. "So, how did you end up caught in the storm?"

"I was down by the lake, if the wind had been blowing the other way I would probably have been swept into the water!" Gathering her long hair into her hands she lifted it from her neck for a moment, cracking her neck and rolling her shoulders. "It was getting too dark and raining too hard for me to get back to the castle and Hagrid's place was the only shelter in sight. I thought I'd be stuck here all by myself until you came through the door, it's nice to have a little company."

"Hum," Draco supposed that it was better to have her there as not, at least he had someone to shout at and insult if she annoyed him too much.

"How about you? Where did you come from?"

"Just taking a walk to cool off. I had a bit of an altercation with Scarhead."

"Oh that's right, you and Harry don't get along too well do you?" Luna nodded slightly as she remembered.

"Not at all," Draco said firmly.

"I like him," Luna said mildly.

Draco scowled, remembering now that she was friends with The Annoying One. "I don't see why, all he ever does is find some way to get himself into the papers. He's only happy when everyone is making a fuss over him and is talking about him. He always has to make everything about him. There's nothing interesting about him, he's not even remotely good at anything! Bloody Chosen One my ass!"

As he talked, Luna studied Draco with undisguised interest. His personality was at odds with his good looks which made him handsome in an extremely annoying kind of way. Luna wasn't sure if she wanted to kiss him or kick him. He had lovely eyes though, Luna really liked his eyes, deep and grey, mesmerising; as though they hid a horde of secrets. He had a long nose and a pointed chin and his lips, the bottom one slightly fuller than the top one looked simply delicious. She honed in on Draco's lips, watching their movements as they formed his words and she wondered what they tasted like.

"Draco," Luna interrupted his tirade on Harry. "How do you like to kiss?"

"I... you... What?" Draco blinked rapidly, his mouth moving silently.

The lightening flashed outside the window again throwing the room into a hazy blue light and highlighting Draco's eyes, giving them the illusion of glittering like two gems. His face was a comic picture, but Luna didn't notice, she was waiting patiently for his reply.

"I said, how do you like to kiss?" Luna repeated when it became clear that Draco was too shocked to form any words.

"How do I like to... are you out of your mind?"

"It's a simple question, Draco. You must like one way better than another," Luna reasoned.

"For Merlin's sake," Draco ran a hand through his hair, glancing warily around the room as if he expected Hagrid or Potter to appear suddenly from under the bed.

"You've been kissed before, Draco, haven't you?"

"Well of course I have," Draco snapped, his face flushing uncomfortably. "But you don't just ask someone that... you just don't," he said exasperated. "This is a stupid thing to be talking about."

"You're right, Draco," Luna conceded. "It is stupid to talk about it when we could just do it."

"What...?" Draco didn't have time to say anything else before Luna's lips were on his.

Her lips were soft and warm and she took so much time over that one kiss that Draco's heart was pounding in his ears by the time she moved back, gasping for air herself.

"I think you like it slow," Luna's voice was a little breathless when she spoke.

Draco stared at her, unable to form a clear thought; his brain was still stuck in complete shock mode. Finally he drew himself back to the present. "Oh do you?" his lips curled into a smirk.

Luna swallowed nervously, unsure now as to what she had actually started. For the first time since he had undressed Luna realised that Draco was probably as naked beneath his blanket as she was beneath hers. The thought was both frightening and erotic to her. "Yes," she managed to force the words out past a dry throat. "Yes I do."

Draco's hands curled around her shoulders, drawing her closer he kissed her. It was a kiss that started off slow and deep, his tongue flickering against her mouth, being granted entrance only to stroke against hers in such a sensual manner than Luna was helpless to do anything other than respond and the kiss somehow ignited into something hot and intense.

He finally released her when breathing became too pressing an issue, and while the storm raged outside, and the wind shrieked like an escaped banshee around the house, pushing at the titles on the roof causing the rafters to moan in protest, Draco's mind worked busily. He was pleased to note the flush of Luna's cheeks and the way she kept her lips parted just so in invitation to another kiss, and he thought he might just take up that invitation, after all, with a storm battering at the walls of the house they couldn't go anywhere and there wasn't exactly anything else to do.

"Aren't you going to kiss me again?"

The question irked Draco a little, he was pretty sure that he was not in control of the situation and he was unsure as to how that had happened. "Yes, if you like," was his reply, he strove for indifference, as though it really didn't bother him whether he kissed her again or not.

Draco couldn't deny to himself however that he did want to kiss Luna again. He promptly seized her in his arms and kissed her, sliding his tongue past her parted lips in a caress that Luna instantly responded to with equal fervour. He felt a surge of triumph when Luna's breath quickened with his own and he hauled her closer to him, pulling her into his lap where he could touch her.

He started at her face, cupping her cheek, angling her slightly to enable him to get a better hold of her and deepen his kiss. His fingers fanned out over her neck and his thumb stroked idly against her pulse point. His fingers moved downwards, tracing the curve of her neck, the dip of her collar bone and brushing over the swelling of her breast.

Luna's breath caught in the back of her throat and Draco felt himself harden. He broke the kiss, "No?"

"Yes."

If the lightening had come in through the window and hit him where he sat, Draco was pretty sure he wouldn't have been more shocked than he was right now. He had asked the question because... well, Draco wasn't really sure why he had asked the question because he had assumed the answer would be no. But Luna had said yes, and Draco was suddenly filled with the urge to hear that word from her again, or to hear her speak his name in a breathy moan or a shout of pleasure.

It was Luna who returned her mouth to his, her lips coaxing, her tongue tasting with a new hunger that Draco instantly recognised and his hand slid beneath the rough fabric of the blanket to trace the outline of her breast that was now taunt and sensitive, sending a fire streaking through her body.

Rain slashed nosily against the window's and lightening lit up the room again followed by a crash of thunder that was louder than anything that had come before it and seemed to vibrate around the room.

The noise filled Luna's ears and she wiggled in Draco's lap, trying to get closer to him hoping that he would block the noise out.

The feel of her brushing against him, even covered with the blankets was severely testing Draco's patience and he tugged at the blanket until it slid from her shoulder and he was able to cup both breasts in his hands. He felt her moan against his mouth as his fingers stroked over her nipples enticing her to let go; she shifted in his lap again and dug her fingers into his shoulders.

His mouth left hers to move down her throat in a hot, erotic trail that her quivering in delight. His teeth sank gently into her collar bone before continuing over her shoulder and her body tighten in anticipation when his lips finally reached the swelling of her breast. Bending her over his arm Draco took the agonisingly sensitive nipple into his mouth and was rewarded with a sharp cry of pleasure.

Draco sucked lightly, passing his tongue over her nipple again and again with cat-like licks, the scratch of her nails in his shoulders and down his back alerting him that he was doing all the right things.

Feeling safe in Draco's grasp, Luna allowed her hold on him to relax so that she could trace his spine with the tips of her fingers. She felt him shiver and allowed herself a little smile. Her hands brushed over his side and inched their way up over his ribs with slow, teasing caresses until her thumb nail could scrape over one nipple.

With unsteady hands, Draco pulled almost violently at the blankets between them, his mouth against hers again, kissing her franticly as their bodies came into contact. Luna's breath wheezed past her lips when Draco returned his mouth to her breast, taking her other nipple between his lips this time and locking an arm around her wait to keep her steady as his other hand smoothed over her thigh and dipped between her legs. Luna cried out when he pressed two fingers inside her, her body bathed in flames already she rocked against his hand as he caused an almost unbearable ache to thrum throughout her entire body.

Draco groaned, she was so hot, so wet already and it was all because of him, all for him.

"I want to touch you, Draco." Her lips brushed against his ear as she spoke, the tip of her tongue darting out to lick at the shell of his ear.

"I've got you," he mumbled against her breast. It was all the confirmation Luna needed and she released her hold on his one shoulder to slip her hand between their heated bodies and curl her fingers around him.

He jerked in her palm as she stroked him, slowly at first as she adjusted to the awkward angle of her hand but Luna managed to match the rhythm he was using against her. Draco was soon panting against her neck, sucking the salty flesh into his mouth as Luna moaned in pleasure.

"Draco," she managed to say, "Now, Draco."

Draco gave her one more stroke for good measure and removed his hand, curling both around her waist as she shifted in his lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck, her fingers burrowing into his hair, Luna lowered herself onto his straining erection with an earthy groan that matched Draco's. His eyes closed to better savour the feeling of pleasure at sliding home inside her.

She was delicious, Draco thought as his hips pushed upwards moving inside her, filling her completely. He heard it then, as her head fell back, the breathy moan of his name he had been waiting for and a smug smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Luna's head fell forward with a sigh of rapture. Resting her forehead against his she was somehow able to speak past her ragged breathing. "So good, Draco."

Damn right it was good! Draco's fingers tightened on her waist as he thrust up just as she pushed down and their bodies met together in a delightfully gratifying rhythm. "Bloody hell!" he hissed as pleasure flooded every nerve in his body. It had never been like this before, now Draco knew where the phrase mind blowing sex had come from, and what gave this an added bit of spice, was that every time he thrust into Luna and caused her to make that keening sound in the back of her throat; he was sticking it to Potter.

Luna's urgent hips pushing against him lost their tempo somewhat as her body quaked and she reached blindly for her release which caused Draco to lose what little control he had. He held her body tightly with one arm to give him enough leverage while his other hand dipped between her legs to press against the hard little bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs as he took her with a thrusting, breakneck speed towards the ultimate pleasure.

He fell first with a cry that even the thunder couldn't drown out, and while he was still throbbing with his own release Draco drove deeper into her, and Luna screamed his name, her nails digging painfully into his scalp as her climax rippled around him.

Exhausted, Luna and Draco slumped against each other, muscles relaxed with release, bodies hot and skin slick with perspiration.

The storm was still blowing furiously outside and the thunder and lightening did it's double act again, flashing through the window throwing Draco's face into the stark light and Luna thought he had never looked so handsome to her as he did now, contented and sated with a look of masculine pride on his face and his eyes like melted silver.

Luna glanced at the window as again the lightening forked through the sky splitting it in two. The storm, she reflected, was the elements urge to collide together just as her body and Draco's had urged to collide together.

A storm was nothing if not nature's oldest dance and perhaps, she mused, as she absently stroked the hair at Draco's nape, it was fitting that she and Draco had participated in man's oldest dance at the same time.


	2. First Snow

**A/N: Just to be clear, the chapters posted in this story will be a series of one shots and will not necessarily follow on from each other, if they do I will put a note on it so that everyone knows what's happening. **

First Snow

It was quiet in the grounds of Hogwarts, so very quiet and still. Luna Lovegood's shoes scrunched on the frost covered ground as she wandered down to the Black Lake.

Luna liked the Black Lake, looking at the water always calmed her, it always looked different during the day than the night, and different in the summer to the winter; and yet it was simply water, it should always be the same, but it wasn't, and that fascinated her.

Entering the clearing by the lake Luna paused to survey her surroundings. Day was turning into night and the sky was darkening on the horizon into a steel blue, the trees had lost their leaves and their bare branches looked dark, almost black against the sky with their spindly branches like long crooked fingers reaching up to the heavens.

The lake was still today, without the wind there wasn't a ripple to be seen; birds skimmed the air above the water but didn't break the surface. She could hear the noise of scurrying animals in the undergrowth and a starling landed on a slender branch above her head letting out a thin warbling cry before taking flight again.

She smiled and continued on her way, pulling her purple bobble hat further down over her ears and slipping her hands into her coat pocket. Glancing up at the sky again Luna crossed her fingers for snow.

Presently, Luna came across another person sitting on a fallen log in the shelter of the bushes. He was so well concealed that she almost missed him altogether. Sitting there, head to toe in black with his blonde hair standing out like a beacon was Draco Malfoy. He was hunched forward on the log, his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands glaring sullenly out across the water.

Luna debated whether to acknowledge his presence or not, and then decided that he looked distinctly miserable and he might like someone to talk to, Luna quite frequently felt she would like someone to talk to.

Closing the distance between them, Luna spoke cheerfully, "Hello, Draco."

Draco jumped at the voice intruding upon his thoughts. He looked up, the startled look on his face melting into a deep scowl. "What?" he demanded heatedly.

"Nothing," Luna gave him a friendly smile. "I don't want anything, I'm just walking. What are you doing?"

"Sitting on a log," Draco snapped, silently wondering at his rotten luck that the school lunatic of all people was the one who had come across him.

"Yes, I can see that," she agreed.

"Then why ask?" Draco turned his face away from her hoping that she would just go away and go about her business leaving him to his.

"Well, you don't look very happy, and I…"

"That's because I'm trying to think and a stupid little girl is interrupting me." Draco noticed that his insult didn't appear to have any affect on her at all, she didn't even flinch, she simply continued to look at him curiously.

After a moments silence she spoke again, "I don't mean to interrupt."

"Then go away!"

It was just his luck Draco reflected, that the annoying girl did not go away. Instead she sat beside him, taking her hands out of her pockets and folding them neatly over her knee. When she didn't speak immediately, Draco's shoulders relaxed and finally slumped. If she was just going to sit there it wouldn't be so bad, providing no-one came along and happened to see him sitting there with Loony Lovegood of course. He had enough going on in his life at the moment without having to deal with those kind of rumours.

"I'm sorry, Draco."

Draco raised his head from his hands and stared stupidly at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Your father," she replied quietly. "I was there you know."

His memory stirred, yes, he remembered now, Loony Lovegood was at the Department of Mysteries. She had been with Potter when his father, Lucius Malfoy had been arrested and subsequently sent to Azkaban; and that was the reason his life was falling apart at the seams. Draco had at first been so busy blaming Potter, cursing him to Hell and back that he had temporarily forgotten that there were other people to blame for Lucius being thrown into Azkaban, and this girl, this slip of a girl with dirty blonde hair, huge silvery eyes and radishes in her ears was one of the people to blame. _Radishes, _his father had been taken away from him and his own life was in major peril because of someone who wore _radishes_ in their ears!

Draco was suddenly incensed. He had been given a mission by the Dark Lord himself, a mission so dark and terrible that Draco shrank away from the very thought of it, never mind the actual actions of carrying it out; and Loony Lovegood had the nerve to sit next to him and intrude upon his thoughts and fears when it was partly her fault to begin with.

Draco's pale face flushed angrily. "Save it loony."

"Well, I'm sorry anyway," Luna said, catching her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment.

"Didn't I tell you to go away?"

"Yes," Luna nodded her agreement. "But I don't think you really want me to go."

Draco stared incredulously at her. "Come again?"

"I don't think you really want to be alone."

"Oh really?" Draco glowered at her. "Then why would I be sitting here, away from the school on my own if I didn't want to be alone?"

Her eyes swivelled to his face and locked with his own. Her eyes were on the large side, clear as crystal in that moment as they stared unflinchingly, unblinkingly deep into the heart of him. "Because you're afraid."

Her response momentarily stunned Draco into complete silence. Surprise was quickly followed by fear, fear that this loony knew what he had to do, fear she would tell Potter, that she would tell Dumbledore what he was going to do.

"What?" Draco's eyebrows shot so far up his forehead they almost disappeared into his hairline

"It's natural to be afraid of change, Draco, but maybe you could look at this as a way to grow?"

"Grow?" he echoed, feeling like the worlds biggest oaf being capable only of echoing her like a minor bird.

"Personal growth. You know, having to deal with things on your own now that your father is…." Luna paused delicately. "… temporarily indisposed."

Draco's eyes closed and he let out a breath he hadn't been aware that he had been holding as utter relief made his shoulders sag. The loony was just sounding off, trying to be helpful, she didn't have a clue about his mission to kill the headmaster of Hogwarts. She hadn't somehow found out about the sickening, chillingly cold fear that weighed on his shoulders every second of the day, throwing his life into darkness.

"Oh shut up." It was the best retort he could come out with at the moment, his mind was scrambled.

Luna simply smiled at him as though he had asked her on a date, Draco thought, rather than told her to shut up. "Things have a way of working themselves out, Draco, even when we don't think that they will. You just have to have faith."

"I'll remember that," Draco responded scathingly.

Luna took a moment to look at Draco, to really look at him. What she saw saddened her. He looked tired, dark circles ringed his eyes and his eyes themselves were dull, there wasn't a spark of interest in them, no hint of malicious amusement she had noticed in him before. They were just there. "Oh dear," she pursed her lips and shook her head slightly. "You've lost it."

"I've lost it?" Draco cried indignantly. "You of all people have the nerve to sit there and tell me that I've lost it, when you are as loony as they come!"

Luna rolled her eyes and Draco had the distinct feeling that rather than be upset by his retort she thought that he was in fact being rather stupid. "I meant that you've lost the spark."

Draco ground his teeth together in frustration. Part of him wondered why he didn't just get up and leave her to her own devices, but the other part of him knew why. She was right, he was frightened and he didn't particularly want to be alone. Luna Lovegood was a good distraction for him, not being Pansy Parkinson or Blaise Zabini she wouldn't pick at him trying to weasel information from him, she just tried to help in her own loony tunes way.

"The spark," she continued, seemingly oblivious to her affect on him. "That little thing inside you where hope lives. You've lost your hope, Draco."

She was right, Draco knew she was. That was exactly what was wrong with him. He had lost his hope. Everything he tried with that wretched vanishing cabinet backfired on him. He just couldn't get the thing to work at all, he had began with high hopes, believing himself to be smart enough to pull it off, after all he was Draco Malfoy, his magical skills were pretty well honed and for once he wasn't bragging. Things had not been progressing the way he hoped they would and he was left feeling useless and deflated.

"Yeah," he heard himself saying. "Something isn't turning out the way I expected it to."

"Life has a habit of doing that," she replied airily. "Do you think it will snow soon, Draco? I like the snow."

Draco scowled. "Can we focus on my problem here, Lovegood?" Draco didn't particularly wish to confide in her in any way, shape or form, but he also didn't like how quickly she could dismiss his problems either. He had been counting on her having some sort of advice for him, he was after all running low on ideas; even a loony idea would do right now, Draco wasn't fussy.

Luna sighed softly, "You can't just plan a moment when things get back on track, Draco, just as you can't plan the moment you lose your way in the first place. You just have to believe that you will find a way back. You have to believe in yourself, Draco, if you don't how do you expect other's to?"

Draco was silent as he contemplated her words, part of him was annoyed that she didn't come out with a straight forward answer for him. Now that he thought about it, if he just twisted her words around a little bit, he could see that the Dark Lord had faith in _him_! The Dark Lord had given him, Draco Malfoy a mission to complete because the Dark Lord believed that he could do it.

Draco smiled suddenly, he was starting to feel better, he hadn't thought about it that way. If the Dark Lord believed in him then he could certainly do it, he would find a way.

He resolutely squashed the little voice that told him the Dark Lord had in actual fact placed a huge burden on his shoulders and asked him to get the Death Eaters into the school, something that had previously never been done just to teach his father a lesson for failing at the Department of Mysteries. Draco chose to ignore the glaringly obvious fact that the Dark Lord himself had not been able to defeat Dumbledore at the Department of Mysteries and he was now expecting Draco to perform such a task.

Draco had a knack for re-writing history and reality to suit his own purposes.

"No matter how dark the moment is, Draco, hope is always possible." Titling her head back, Luna studied the sky, "I hope for snow. There's nothing quite like freshly fallen snow."

Draco sighed heavily. "Whatever."

"It's getting cold," Luna said, rubbing her hands together briskly. "I think I'll head back to school. Are you coming? I think you probably should, it'll be getting too dark for you to sit out here much longer, and your behind will get numb," she added as an after thought.

Draco couldn't help the smirk that curled his lips and the snort of amusement that left him at that comment. "Worried about my ass are you, Lovegood?"

"Well," Luna said thoughtfully, "It won't be very pleasant for you."

"It probably won't," he agreed standing up and stretching out his back. Draco felt a little better about his situation now, Lovegood had given him enough of a boost to be getting along with, and as he fell into step beside her on the way back to school Draco's mind was already considering and rejecting new ideas.

Luna was silent as she accompanied Draco along the path beside the Black Lake, she didn't wish to intrude upon his thoughts, he was wearing his serious face. She was glad that she had been able to help him, if only a little bit, it was nice to help people. Luna sighed inwardly, it was unfortunate that other people didn't feel the same way. Luna felt the world would be a much nicer place if everyone could just get along; although she was realistic enough to know that was not a very likely scenario.

Suddenly, Luna felt something cold touching her nose. She blinked in surprise and wiped at the tip of her nose, a delighted smile on her face as she looked up at the sky which was now heavy with snow. "Oh look, I told you to have hope, Draco, it's snowing, it's the first snow of the year."

Draco looked up, squinting against the fat snowflakes which were falling thick and fast from the sky, landing quietly at his feet, on the trees around him, and in his hair. The lake suddenly felt very quiet to Draco, as though the snow had muffled all noise and it was just him and Luna, the only two people on the face of the earth.

Pulling her bobble hat from her head and stuffing it into her pocket, Luna tilted her head back to face the sky, her hair tumbling around her shoulders and spilling down her back in a knotted mess. Draco noted that she had a blue feather sticking out of the tangles of curls, and on closer inspection he realised that the feather was attached to a quill. He wondered absently how long the quill had been nestled there.

The flakes of snow landed gently on Luna's upturned face, little cold spots that sent a chill to the nerve endings just beneath the skin of her cheeks. Luna could feel them sitting on her face and she smiled; she was cold enough to stop the snowflakes from melting.

As the snow began to fall thicker and faster, the flakes fatter and so white against the back drop of the sky, Draco shook his head slightly, they were catching in his hair and tickling the bare skin at the nape of his neck, melting quickly into little rivulets of water that ran down into the collar of his coat.

Scowling, Draco drew the neck of his coat up and closer around his throat and ears. He flexed his reddened fingers and almost glared at Luna, this creature who appeared to adore the snow while he was freezing his toes off.

The snow had also started to cling to Luna Draco noted. They almost seemed to be sparkling like diamonds in the rats nest she called hair and the flakes on her cheeks looked like tiny crystal droplets against the pale pink of her cheeks.

Parting her lips as an icy flake settled against her mouth, Luna darted her tongue out to taste the snow. Cold, icy and fresh, she decided when the snowflake dissolved on her tongue.

Luna blinked rapidly in surprise, a shiver running down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold weather and everything to do with the warmth of Draco's mouth over hers. He was kissing her! For a moment her mind went totally blank, too shocked to register anything other than the searing warmth of his body even through the thickness of their coats.

Draco wasn't exactly sure what had come over him, or why he was actually doing this. All he knew was the sight of her in the freshly falling snow, her lips parted and that little pink tongue swiping along her lower lip had done something to him; sent a bolt of lightening straight to his groin overruling his common sense.

Perhaps it was because she was a bright spot in an otherwise exceedingly dismal past few weeks. Perhaps it was because she was extremely sensual without meaning to be. Or perhaps it was simply because she had been kind to him without demanding anything back that he wanted to lose himself in that sweetness for just a few minutes and pretend that there was nothing else in the world apart from the snow and them.

She was soft and warm, her kisses eager and willing; gentle and deep, touching something inside him that had never even stirred before. His hands held her face, cradling her gently as his thumb stroked over her cheek bone.

His tongue flickered over hers, stroking leisurely, exploring slowly and Luna shivered, her body tightening in response to the low moan she felt rather than heard in the back of his throat.

His mouth lifted from hers fractionally when breathing became paramount, but it was merely a pause for Draco was kissing her again before she quite knew what was happening. She daren't touch Draco, afraid of what her hands would do should they come into contact with him, but she swayed towards him, allowing her body to lean into his, just to let him know she was happy with him kissing her.

This time Luna could taste the cold of his kiss and she knew that somehow a snowflake had become trapped between them and had melted into the kiss. It made Draco taste like winter.

When the kiss broke for a second time, Luna felt Draco's hands slide from her face. His fingers fanned out against her neck for a moment, the pad of his thumb touching to her pulse point.

Luna took a deep steadying breath. Her eyes still closed, she could feel the snowflakes gathered in her lashes and her mouth felt astonishingly warm compared to the rest of her.

"Did you know that no two snowflakes are the same?"

When she received no response Luna's eyes fluttered open, her lashes feeling rather heavier than usual coated with snow. "Oh." She was surprised to find that she was alone, Draco was no longer standing in front of her.

Squinting through the snow, Luna could just about make out the dark figure of Draco a little way ahead of her walking back up to the castle. Her mouth curled into a smile and the cold tips of her fingers touched to the tingling warmth of her lips. She sighed contentedly, pushing her hands into her pockets Luna started walking to the castle herself, it was getting too dark and too cold to stay outdoors any longer.

Luna kept her eyes on Draco's back as she followed him back across the grounds of the school. She couldn't see him all that well as he was quite a way in front of her, but just as he reached the castle doors he turned back stared at her for a long moment before ducking into the foyer. Wrapping her arms around herself, Luna hoped she had been at least a little helpful to Draco, and now she had even more reason to love the snow; she'd had her first kiss in the first snow of the year.


	3. Summer Rain

Summer Rain

The sun was strong, filtering through the canopy of leaves to touch pin pricks of warmth against his bare skin. The birds were singing merrily as they flittered from branch to branch above his head and somewhere over his shoulder where the babbling of the brook was gurgling on its way through the wood Draco heard the deep resonating croak of a frog.

The blanket was soft beneath him, cushioning him, protecting him from the grass and twigs that would undoubtedly scratch at him and leave little red welts on his exposed skin.

It was a peaceful day, and Draco, full from his picnic lunch and as relaxed as he possibly could be while stretched out naked in the woods, was content. His smoky grey eyes watched the girl sitting opposite him, her naked body partially shielded from his vision by the easel she had set up and the long, dirty blonde hair that fell over her shoulders and covered her breasts.

He listened to the slight swishing of the water against the sides of the glass jar as Luna Lovegood dipped her paint brush into the water to clean it, tapping the wooden handle lightly against the rim to shake off any excess water. He watched her dip her brush into a pot of blue paint and knew she was now preparing to paint the sky or the brook behind him. She hummed quietly while she painted and the pleasant, familiar sound lulled him further into his near sleepy state.

"Draco, you're twitching," Luna chided gently.

"Don't mean to, I'm falling asleep over here," Draco replied, trying his best not to move more than was necessary. He disliked sitting still for prolonged periods of time, especially when Luna was within arms reach and completely naked; but he had promised her he would pose for her picture. Draco hadn't quite realised what he had let himself in for with that hastily given promise.

Luna enjoyed drawing and painting, and she enjoyed looking at Draco, therefore she had combined the two to make one thoroughly enjoyable hobby. It was too bad that Draco was getting achy, Luna mused, but he had promised to sit for her and as she kept reminding him, a promise was a promise and shouldn't be broken.

"It's nice here isn't it?" Luna said conversationally. She had brought Draco to the little thicket of wood near her house. It was far enough away that her father wouldn't accidentally stumble upon them, but near enough that he wouldn't worry about her being with Draco. Luna understood her father's worry, after all, Draco's family had held her captive during the war; but as she constantly reminded her father, the war was over and everyone deserved a second chance. Especially, she thought with a coy smile, people with a body like Draco's.

"Hum."

She smiled brightly, "I knew you'd like it. Draco, don't move, I'm not finished with you yet, I'm going back to you in a minute."

Draco sighed softly. Posing was a pain in the ass, but he was bound to be rewarded for good behaviour when the painting was done, and with hormones raging like a forest fire Draco was willing to wait it out.

He watched as Luna changed her brush, wiping the end with a damp cloth before selecting a pot he couldn't see from his position. She looked up, her large silvery blue eyes looking directly at him from behind the curtain of hair that had fallen over her one eye. Those eyes held his, keeping him captive in a timeless moment before flickering away and travelling down the length of his body, assessing him carefully with open admiration.

Draco couldn't help it; he blushed.

If she saw the change in his countenance, which Draco was sure she had because Luna missed nothing; she gave no sign of it. That was one of the things Draco liked about her, she understood him. Luna knew how difficult it was for him to be open with someone, she accepted his awkwardness in expressing his feelings and didn't push him, she simply took what he was able to give; grateful that it was her he was offering those feelings to.

Draco watched Luna carefully, sitting in the grass amongst the flowers and trees with her hair spilling around her she brought to mind the image of a beautiful and mystical forest nymph. Luna was at home surrounded by nature, it suited her personality; he preferred the luxury and splendour of his family home, Malfoy Manor. Draco didn't mind spending time outdoors with Luna, she was like an exotic bird that should never be caged, and keeping her indoors, as grand as his home was, rather felt like he was caging her up.

At first, when they had began their tentative relationship Draco had wanted to lock her away, keep her from anyone who might say or do something to take her away from him. It had taken him a long time to realise that Luna was stronger than he thought, much stronger that he was, and she did what she wanted to do and never let anyone else's opinion affect her own judgement.

Draco recalled sitting on his private veranda with Luna one evening his face twisted into a pout as she told him she wouldn't be able to see him the following evening because she was going out with Ginny Weasley. He hadn't been able to cope with it, suddenly terrified that Weasley would convince Luna never to see him again and he had of course, rather than trying to explain to Luna how he felt, just shouted at her and caused an argument.

Luna however never argued. That was one of the infuriating things about her, Draco could never get her to fight with him; it had taken Draco a while to discover that when he and Luna fought, he was in fact just fighting with himself because she just sat back and let him rant and rave before putting him neatly in his place with a few softly spoken words of common sense. As maddening as that could be, it was one of the many things Draco had come to adore about her.

Feeling her eyes on him again, Draco pulled himself out of his thoughts to see what she was doing. Luna her paint brush poised in mid air, was almost devouring him with her eyes. It was a different look to the one she had given him only minutes before, these were not the eyes of the artist but the eyes of his lover; and Draco's body responded immediately.

It was Luna's turn to blush, and her eyes swept back to her painting as she sucked in a sharp breath. The movement caused her chest to rise and a pink nipple peeked at Draco through the curtain of her hair. His lips curled into a smirk; his reward was within his reach.

"See something you like, Luna?" He was teasing, but his voice was low, almost a seductive purr that affected Luna much more that she felt it should, but she wasn't one to question her feelings. If Luna felt something then she trusted it to be right, and she trusted every feeling and instinct she had about Draco in spite of his past and what her own family and friends said about him.

They didn't know this Draco. They didn't know _her _Draco.

Luna lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "If you've seen one blonde God you've seen them all," she replied with an impish smile.

Draco grinned, he had always hated being made fun of, he never could take a friendly joke when he was the butt of it; but he didn't mind in the slightest when Luna teased him. It was strange, but it made him feel closer to her, it gave their relationship a special intimacy that he had never experienced with anyone else before.

"You're supposed to worship God's you know," he said, giving her a sly smile.

"Yes," she agreed, her voice a breathy whisper as she thought of all the ways she could worship Draco. It only took a brief meeting of eyes for Luna to know that Draco had been thinking the same thing. "Would…. Would you like to be worshipped, Draco?"

The fact that Luna could stammer and look at him so shyly from beneath her lashes after all this time, when he touched her so often, when he had; Draco swallowed reflexively, been inside her so many times, genuinely touched something at the core of him.

"Yes," Draco said softly. "I would."

Luna said nothing in response, but she didn't need to, her eyes did the talking for her so deep and intense was the look she gave him.

The little clearing was muggy due to the warmth of the day and the humidity from the stuffy shade of the trees over head; but suddenly it became hot and sultry as Luna left her painting behind and crawled to Draco's feet. She knelt there for a moment gorging on him, taking him all in, and the sweetest contented smile graced her delicate features.

Draco remembered those lips against his ear whispering softly "I love you" as she cradled him close to her, fingers running through his hair, slender arms surrounding him, keeping him safe from everything, including himself.

As her hands reach out to brush over his toes, Draco managed to speak, not the words that were lying heavily on his tongue, but close enough. "I do you know."

"I know." Her response was simple, but like all things simple, it was the truth and so completely Luna. It didn't upset her that Draco hadn't said the words, when it was right for him Draco would speak them without any hesitation at all, Luna knew that as well as she knew her own name. There was no rushing these things after all.

Luna turned back to the task at hand. She brushed her lips over his toes, placing a soft kiss to the arch of each foot, her teeth nipping at his heels and her tongue tracing the curve of each ankle. Hot open mouthed kisses touched the back of his knees, his inner thighs, the flat of his stomach and her teeth bit lightly into his jutting hip, his shoulder and collar bone.

Draco's eyes closed and he groaned quietly as she kissed the base of his throat, her tongue flickering over his straining Adam's apple and moving along to trace his jaw and press a kiss just beneath his ear. Light kisses, as swift as butterfly wings passed over his face, along his cheek bones, over his eyebrows, against his eye lids and lastly to the tip of his nose.

His lips parted eagerly, waiting for that kiss to his mouth; Luna's kisses were always deep, full of feeling and meaning. Draco liked that about her.

Luna knew what he wanted, but she bypassed his mouth entirely. An annoyed noise came from the back of his throat and Luna laughed lightly. "You said you wanted to be worshipped." She leant in until her hair tickled his chest and her mouth was against his ear. "Worship isn't something that is rushed, Draco."

Excitement speared through every nerve ending in his body. Draco's fingers fisted into the blanket beneath him, his body unconsciously straining towards her, eager and desperate for more.

She allowed her thumb to trace his bottom lip, stroking down his throat until her hands danced across his chest reveling in the warmth of his skin, the familiarly of the contours of his body as she caressed his arms stroking against the crease by his elbow and lifting his hand to press a sweet kiss against his wrist. Draco shifted, a soft gasp floating past his lips.

Her fingers explored the smooth alabaster skin of his chest, nails raking lightly over his nipples eliciting a groan from him. Her touch ghosted over his ribs to pause on his hips to steady herself as her mouth pressed to one nipple in a hot, wet kiss. Luna traced teasing, gentle circles with her tongue around first one nipple and then the other, the skin tightening into a hard bud against her mouth.

Luna's hand swept down the length of Draco's body and with the faintest of touches she caressed his inner thighs, a small smile twitching at the corners of her lips when Draco moaned and parted his legs invitingly. His stomach muscles tightened and twitched in anticipation when she pressed a kiss just below his belly button and his hand flexed against the small of her back. Everything she did burnt a white hot trail of desire throughout his body and Draco was helpless to do anything other than squirm and pant beneath her assault.

Blindly, Draco reached out for her, wanting to touch her, to bring her the same unbelievable pleasure she was giving him; but Luna batted his hands away. "No," she murmured, her mouth now against his hip. "I'm worshiping you, Draco."

Just the way she spoke his name was enough to drive Draco mad with longing, and now she was teasing him as well.

Draco felt her shift beside him and he forced open his heavy eyelids in time to see her settle herself on her knees between his thighs and it was only then that Draco realized how his body had of its own accord spread open for her, silently begging for her touch. Draco knew that he wouldn't find himself naked, legs splayed in the wood with anyone else; he had let his guard down with Luna, not only did he want her so much it seemed to defy all rational thought and reasoning, but he trusted her, he knew her and she knew him; without a doubt Draco knew that he loved her.

He opened his mouth to tell her so but all that came out was a sharp cry of pleasure as she finally took his hardened, aching flesh into her mouth. His hips jerked upwards and Luna smoothly moved with him to avoid having him hit her gag reflex. Her mouth was slow and sweet and sensual and Draco's eyes rolled back in his head. Draco's hands reached for her again, tangling his fingers in her hair he gripped tightly to her, his hips rocking forward, her mouth finding his rhythm and moving with him as pure bliss rippled under his skin and he was panting, fighting for breath.

With one last upward stroke Luna released him, and finally, finally, her mouth slanted over his in a kiss. Draco's fingers tightened in her hair, holding to the back of her head to keep her there as he kissed her deeply, his tongue sweeping into her mouth, stroking, caressing dominating her even as he lay beneath her. Luna moaned in response, pressing herself against him, needing something to help with the frenzied hunger that was eating away at the pit of her stomach.

When he released her to allow her to breathe, Luna gasped, drawing in a deep lung-full of air. "Please... please let me go, Draco." The undisguised need in her voice matched the pent up need in him and Draco willingly relinquished his hold on her, carefully untangling her hair from his fingers.

Using his shoulders to steady herself, Luna settled herself comfortably over him, her legs trembling when his hands ran up her inner thigh. Draco's eyes met Luna's as he parted her gently, holding her gaze as she lowered her body and suddenly Draco was inside her; Luna was around him, above him, surrounding him completely and the breath left Draco's body in one fell whoosh because she just felt so good.

Luna's hips shifted, moving a little awkwardly at first until she found her rhythm and then she let out a low moan as it was Draco's turn to touch her. His hands curled around her hips, guiding her, kneading her bare flesh, travelling up her ribs her body arching into him. He cupped her breasts, stroked her sensitive flesh, moved over her shoulders, down her arms to her wrists, dropped to caress her legs and knees and grasp her fingers in his own. He just couldn't stop touching her, especially when she was panting his name like a prayer.

Draco's fingers danced over her skin again, seeking out the sweet spots that made her cry out until she thought she might die from the sheer pleasure of it. She moaned his name, little crescent moons appearing at his shoulders where she held on tightly as a tidal wave of exquisite sensations coursed through her.

Feeling something wet on her skin, Luna opened her eyes, blinking in surprise as something dropped into her eye. Hearing the steady _plop _of falling water she realised that it was raining. The sound of water hitting water came to her as the rain fell into the brook and the water on her body cooled her flushed skin.

She never broke her stride, her body moving of its own accord now and her arms coming behind her to use Draco's legs for leverage as she quickened her pace, Draco's hands on her hips urging her on.

Draco blinked the water out of his eyes, it wasn't raining heavily, simply a summer rain, the water warm and mild and not enough to distract him from Luna. Nothing could distract him from her when she looked this good; her hair a wild tangle about her shoulders, her body arched back with her breasts jutting enticingly forward and her lips red and swollen from his kisses. The rain splattered her body, clear droplets of water that made little tracks down her exposed throat and ran along the swelling of her breast, catching and glistening on the tip of her nipple like fresh morning dew.

She had never looked more enchanting to Draco than she did right then in all her wondrous natural glory, her skin flushed her head flung back as she cried out as her body shook with release.

"Bloody hell I love you," his voice was hoarse with emotion and Draco roared as his hips bucked upwards following her over the edge.

Luna sank in a boneless heap against Draco her lungs aching for much needed air. She could feel his heart hammering in time with her own and her eyes closed contentedly, the rain rather soothing on her bare back.

One hand at the small of her back, the other at the back of her neck, Draco held Luna lightly he had no strength left in his body. The scent of her filled his nostrils; paint, coconuts and rain. He would always remember how Luna had looked this afternoon as she rose above him like some sort of earth Goddess and Draco knew he would always think of that image whenever he was caught again in a summer rain.


	4. A Really Hot Day

Chapter 4

A Really Hot Day

The bright glare of the morning sunlight streaming down through the trees almost blinded Draco. The world around him was still and serene as he made his silent way into Hogsmead, the castle of Hogwarts looming dark against the sky behind him, the large turrets like posted sentry's watching the going's on of the clumps of students littering the court yard and the grassy banks.

There was no-one in sight and as he trod the well known path towards the little village, he was filled with wonder that he, Draco Malfoy, who always had someone hanging around him to give orders to, to laugh at his jokes and hope to ride his coat tails to the top, found himself completely alone.

He was alone a lot these days since the war ended and he, along with countless other students had returned to Hogwarts to finish their education. Vincent Crabbe who had been one of his friends was dead, Gregory Goyle his other friend avoided him as much as possible these day and seemed to prefer to hang around with Blaise Zabini instead. It stuck in Draco's craw to see Goyle with Zabini, the two of them laughing together, eating in the Great Hall together and sitting together in class when it used to be him giving orders to Goyle and Goyle scrambling to obey. Draco remembered the days of lording it over Zabini in the Slytherin common room, now he was lucky if anyone said hello to him.

He was practically ostracized these days. Him and Theodore Nott, two of the pure blood's whose families had been openly involved with the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters. Draco of course was viewed with much more suspicion than Theodore due to the fact that he wore the Dark Mark and had housed the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters and helped the Death Eaters get into Hogwarts to murder Dumbledore.

Memories were long, and no-one forgot that he was the first to step over to the Dark Lord and join the ranks of Death Eaters when it was thought that Harry Potter was dead and the Dark Lord had triumphed. People also remembered how they had believed that Lucius Malfoy was a changed man, and yet he had so swiftly returned to his Master's side and joined the Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries.

His father was currently serving the rest of his sentence in Azkaban, he only had a year left to go before he came home and Draco was looking forward to that day. His life at Hogwarts was bound to be infinitely better than what his father had to deal with, although it ate at Draco like a toxic waste that he had Harry Potter to thank for that. Potter had stood up for him, told the entire Wizengamot how he had lied for Harry to help him escape and how he had been forced into using unforgivable curses. Draco had been surprised to discover that Potter had experienced a connection with the Dark Lord's mind and had seen some of the things that he had been forced to partake in.

Potter's testimony made Draco's life easier, but Draco burned with humiliation at having Potter take up for him.

Shading his eyes with his hand Draco looked about him at the route that was as familiar to him as his own mind. The sand and gravel path stretched out before him, winding away under the avenue of oak's and cedars. With the heat of the sun high above him Hogsmead suddenly felt like a million miles away. The dust of the path floated upward on the dry air, sifting into his nostrils, sticking in his nose and throat, choking him.

A stillness hung over the countryside, all the shrubs and flowers which should have been in full bloom hung drooping and sad in churned up soil where the fighting had taken place. Draco drew in a deep breath, everywhere he went found some sort of reminder of the hidious days of the war when everything was a dark quagmire he couldn't get out of.

Draco smoothed back his hair his face damp and his body already beginning to sweat. He felt messy and sticky something Draco was unused to, he was a Malfoy, he had always had the wealth of the Malfoy fortune behind him and he had always dressed in the very best clothes, had always had his every little whim catered to and now Draco felt lost in a sea of confusion. The good old lazy days before the war where gone and Draco wasn't sure where he fit in this new world of Potter's making.

He could hear the rippling of the river off to his right, and Draco abandoned his plan to go to Hogsmead and instead cut through the tall grass with the scorching sun beating down on his head, burning the back of his neck and causing little rivulets of perspiration to run from behind his ears down his neck and he blew a puff of hot air up into his face, unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt Draco pushed the sleeves up to his elbows, avoiding looking at the Dark Mark burnt on his arm.

The water looked cool and still, like a silver ribbon and Draco was just contemplating taking off his shoes and socks and soaking his feet in the inviting water when he spotted her, calf deep in the water, her white dressed hiked up around her knees, her long dirty blonde hair tumbling down her back held off her face with wild flowers.

Draco faltered, unsure what to do. He was just preparing to sneak away hoping she hadn't seen him when Luna Lovegood lifted her head and her large, silvery blue eyes landed on his face, pinning him in place.

The sun was shining hotly above him and Draco was frozen like a statue. At the sight of her standing in the water, the sun reflecting off the surface of the water on to her face which had now lost its haunted, hungry look and was plump and full of health and vitality, Draco thought she looked like some mythical water goddess.

Draco's heart went out in a surge of love and fury at fate. He could hardly bear to look at her knowing how she had suffered being taken from her father and locked away from the sunlight and the fresh air; constantly living with the fear she might be tortured and killed, or worse for her, that her father may suffer that very fate.

Luna's heart leaped at the very sight of Draco. It had been too long since she'd had a quiet moment alone with him. She hadn't managed it since Harry had taken her away from Malfoy Manor and she had longed for him since that day, but never once, not with a word or a look had Draco betrayed any of his feelings towards her.

"Hello, Draco." He didn't look as though he were going to speak, but rather turn on his heel and run away and Luna refused to allow that to happen. He had spent too long avoiding her.

"Luna," he greeted quietly.

She smiled at the sound of her name; a smile that lit up her face and caused her eyes to sparkle like jewels. "How are you?"

"Fine." It was a lie and Draco knew that Luna knew that, she always seemed to just know things without being told and convey that with one look.

"You don't have to lie to me, Draco. I can imagine that things have been difficult for you. You used to talk to me," she added when Draco remained maddeningly silent.

"I didn't have much choice then," Draco said, his attempt at a snarky tone falling flat.

"There's always a choice," Luna said quietly. "You proved that when you lied for Harry."

Draco's cheeks coloured, he hated being reminded of that even if it did end up being his saving grace. The war had taught him many things especially that the harsh realities of life didn't wait for him to get used to them but thrust themselves into his life whether he wanted to face them or not; and one of the harsh realities he had to face was his feelings for the slip of a girl standing in the water, gazing at him, waiting for him to speak.

"I did what I had to do to help myself and my family," Draco responded with a square of his shoulders.

Luna's eyebrows drew together in a deep frown. "You didn't know lying was going to help you at the time."

"I don't know that it's helped me at all," Draco complained bitterly.

Luna kicked her foot sending crystal clear dropplets of water sprinkling through the air sparkling like rainbows when the sun caught them. She splashed her way to the bank and stepped onto the springy grass. "You did what was right, Draco and your good deed has been rewarded. Harry spoke up for you, didn't he. He told everyone what you and your mother did for him and that kept you out of Azkaban."

"Yeah, and he also told everyone about my father's fall from grace too," Draco scowled angrily. "I bet he really enjoyed telling everyone about that," he added sourly.

"I doubt that, Harry doesn't take pleasure in other people's misery and embarrassment."

"Like I do you mean?" Draco snapped, his mind going back to the way he had behaved before the war towards those he believed were beneath him.

"I didn't say that and I didn't mean that," Luna assured him. "You were nice to me." A pink blush crept into her cheeks and Draco's eyes lowered to the ground, his own face heating up slightly.

He remained silent, Draco had nothing to say to that. The truth always startled him and forced him to accept the truth of whatever statement was being made whether he wanted to or not and Luna always spoke the truth.

And the truth was, he hard hardly been able to keep her out of his mind. Luna filled his every dream, his every waking thought and he burned for her the way the sun was burning his face at that very moment.

"You've been avoiding me, Draco. Why have you been avoiding me?"

She was so close to him now that Draco felt as though he were suffocating. Not a breath of air stirred the lush greenness around him, or rustled the leaves of the trees; the bank of the river felt heavy and oppressive and Draco jerked roughly at the collar of his midnight blue shirt, the silk already sticking to his back and his arms.

Swallowing against his dry throat Draco took a wobbly step backwards from those lustrous eyes that seemed to pierce the very core of him and force him to acknowledge truths it would do no good to speak of.

"Because..." he finally spoke. "Because I didn't want you to get the wrong idea about things."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "How do you mean?"

"About us," he forced the words past his tight throat. "I didn't want you thinking there was more to ... us, than there is."

Her eyes, which were slightly on the large side but suited her face anyway, and always had a look of surprise about them widened in genuine shock, her lips parting in a soundless gasp. She stared up at him disbelievingly. "I'm afraid," she began, her voice carefully measured, "that I'm following you only too well. Why don't you want to admit to feelings for me, Draco?"

"I don't have any feelings to admit to," Draco said defiantly.

"Oh yes you do," Luna's chin tilted slightly and he eyes met his, bright with challenge. "What exactly are you afraid of? Not of what people think, surely. Not after we just won a war to prove that everyone is equal. Besides, if it does bother you that much, my blood is as pure as yours."

"We were on different sides in that war," Draco reminded her, doing his level best to bypass her question. A question he knew she had every right to ask of him.

"Not really," Luna said dismissively. "You may believe the same things as the Death Eaters to a certain extent, but you do not believe that people should be killed or stripped of their magic merely because their blood is not pure. If you did, you would have willingly fought alongside the Death Eaters, but you didn't. You got yourself into a difficult and dangerous situation you could find no way out of without bloodshed so you allowed yourself to be swept along by it always looking for a way out, a way to save yourself and your family. If the war hadn't have come it would have made no real difference to you, Draco, you would have spent your life living happily at Malfoy Manor with your wealth at your disposal and doing just as you pleased, in much the same way you always have done."

But the war had come, Draco shivered in spite of the relentless heat of the day. The war had come to blow his life into smithereens and change life as he knew it. Gone now was the laziness of the old days where he ruled supreme in the Slytherin common room and there was an undeniable glamour about being a Malfoy. The family name stood for something, meant something, Lucius had worked hard to ensure that it did and that in turn gave his son an easy life. The Malfoy name protected him and kept him from being like everyone else.

There was a beauty to his life before the Dark Lord returned, where he only had to ask for something and it immediately became his, when he had people falling over themselves to suck up to him in the hopes of becoming a member of his own little trusted circle of friends; not that he had ever had any real friends, Draco would admit that if only to himself. But that was through his own choice, he hadn't really believed that anyone he knew was worthy of being a true friend to him. Now he hadn't a friend because of his own doing, people were still a little afraid of him, didn't know what to make of him; all accept Luna. She knew him better than he knew himself and she wanted to be more than his friend, but it wasn't possible, now more than ever it wasn't possible.

"Everything has changed."

She smiled sweetly, a look of understanding on her face. "I know, Draco. You'll adapt. You're strong."

"I don't know where I belong anymore, Luna. I don't have a place in this life. I'm like a fish out of water."

He looked so despairingly at her and his low voice was so devoid of feeling that Luna knew in that instant why she adored him so. He was just like a lost little boy, a lost soul and she wanted to help him, to guide him back from the darkness he had been wandering in into the light.

"Everything will be alright, Draco. You just have to take life by the horns and make what you want out of it. We've come through the worst life can throw at us, Draco and we're still standing. You have the strength in you to stand tall against adversity, you've already proven that, and people will forget and forgive in time. Wounds are still raw right now, grief is still fresh, but you will be alright. You've already faced the stone walls of disapproval that have come up against you and you haven't fallen, but if you do, you'll just get right back up again; because that's what a man does, that's what a Malfoy does." Luna played her ace card with the mention of his family name, that above anything was sacred to Draco, having the Malfoy name really mean something.

Her hand was suddenly on his arm, hot and feverish as she gazed longingly up at him. "And you don't have to do it on your own, Draco. You've struggled along so far and you've proven you can do it alone, but you don't have to. I'll be here from now on to help you."

Draco hardly noticed her palm was clammy from heat, he only registered that her hand was on his arm, her skin touching his and it conjured up memories he buried away during the day and only brought out at night to thumb over in the darkness to bring him some small measure of comfort and be admired like a fine work of art; memories of her hands in his hair and his lips on hers in the sweetest of kisses, made even sweeter by the fact that they were stolen kisses in a basement or in the washroom where he took her to bathe while she was held captive at his home.

They were kisses that had sustained him, led to the kind of intense physical pleasure Draco had never realised could exist. But the past was the past, he had to leave it there. He had to look forward and be the man, the Malfoy he was meant to be.

"No," he said, his voice a whisper. "It's not possible, what happened..."

But Luna stopped his faltering words with her own her hands moving to grip his shoulders, to physically hold him in place in case he tried to run off. "Don't, Draco! Don't say things you don't mean. Don't push me away again. I love you and I know you love me, you told me so remember, that night in your bedroom when we..."

"Oh," Draco exclaimed exasperated that she was bringing up memories that did nothing but weaken his resolve when it came to her. "Can't we just forget all about it?"

"Don't be silly," Luna chided gently. "Why should we do that? How can we do that?" She looked at him imploringly. "Are you honestly going to stand there and say you didn't mean it? That your feelings have changed?"

The sunlight streaked through her hair, turning the dirty blonde waves to molten gold before his very eyes and making the petals of the wild white roses she had used to pin back her hair almost translucent.

The light could play tricks on the eyes, her hair was not golden and she was not perfect. Draco's heart contracted at this disloyal thought but he chose to ignore it. He took a quick, sharp breath before he spoke. "I don't care about you at all. Now will you leave me alone?"

"You are lying, Draco."

"So what?" Draco demanded with a heat to match that of the fireball in the clear sky above. "What difference does it make? We can't do anything about it. We're different kinds of people, we come from different worlds."

"That doesn't matter, not if..."

"It matters." Draco interrupted quietly; so quietly that his voice stilled Luna to silence. "We are different, Luna and you know it. I have responsibilities, a duty to the Malfoy's that have come before me. "

Blinking uncertainly Luna looked at Draco with wide eyes and naked longing. She saw, as if for the first time the good breeding in his face, it showed in his hard eyes grey like granite, in the high prominent cheek bones and the proud tilt of his head.

Luna saw in Draco Malfoy's face the collapse of her dreams; saw them fluttering away like petals on the wind. He loved her, but he would not sacrifice his pride or the honor of the Malfoy name to be with her, not even if he burned for her for the rest of his life. Her heart broken, Luna let the tears fall.

Draco was astounded, he had never seen Luna cry; not when she had been teased mercilessly at school, not when she had first been taken captive and not in all the long months of her captivity. He genuinely hadn't realized that someone as strong as Luna was capable of tears.

His arms went around her, his natural instinct to comfort her coming to the fore and he patted her awkwardly. "Don't cry," it came out more as a harsh command that a soothing plea, but it was the best he could do in the circumstances, especially now that he could feel the change in her body at his very touch.

An electric heat swept through her, transferred itself to him and consumed him; heart, body and mind. Turning her face up to his, Draco kissed her.

Luna's heart pumped madly in her ears and she clung to Draco, her body seeming to stick to his the day was so hot. She clung to him as they stood fused together for a timeless time, just the two of them and Draco's mouth took hers hungrily as though he would never in this life time or the next get enough of her.

The aroma of wild roses filled his nostrils and the familiarity of holding Luna in his arms again was a heady mixture and Draco deepened his kiss. She tasted like honeysuckle and wild flowers, like hot summer days and warm sultry summer darkness, even though she didn't, she still signified all those things to him and Draco lost himself in the delicious ambrosia that was Luna.

He broke the kiss for a moment for some much needed air, but the heat of the day made the air thick and stale and cloying and breathing wasn't nearly as good as he remembered it being only minutes before.

"Draco..." she murmured, her fingers tangling in his hair, leaning into him ardently and dragging his mouth back to hers.

Draco went willingly. He would worry and fight with the chaos of his thoughts later when he could get some order into his addled mind, when Luna wasn't pressed to tightly to him she was practically plastered to his body. Even the sun, like a ball of red clay that seemed to be sending down to earth the very heat from the fires of hell did not compare to the wildfire Draco could feel coursing through his own veins as he kissed her harder, deeper, giving himself over to her completely.

Luna was like chocolate and honey and syrupy goodness, she was soft and smooth and sweet smelling and all those things that weren't good for you because they gave you toothache; but he was having his taste of her anyway; he was having his taste of lilies on the breeze and buttercups dancing and dissolving sunshine; because all too soon Draco knew that he would have to give her up for good.


	5. The Sun Comes Through After A Rainy Day

The Sun Comes Through After a Rainy Day

It was Granger's fault, ultimately it was all Granger's fault; she would insist on being a do-gooder, a busy body. If she had just kept her mouth shut and her opinion's to herself he wouldn't be in this humiliating situation.

McGonagall was just as bad as Granger, she was all for it, jumping all over Granger's idea and giving the annoying mud-blood free rein; putting her in charge. And didn't Granger just love queening it about in the Great Hall, hugging a clip board and pointing a quill at everyone as she dished out orders and directions.

Draco groaned, leaning his arms on the cold stone of the balcony he stared out across the grounds of Hogwarts. The sky was grey and overcast, thick clouds hovered above the castle and a cold drizzle fell relentlessly, spotting the balcony and blowing lightly onto his face. He shivered slightly, glad to be undercover.

He understood the concept behind Granger's idea, could see the appeal to McGonagall and Dumbledore; he could even understand why he had practically been forced to become a part of it. That didn't mean he had to like it. Draco definitely didn't like it.

Granger and her do-gooder ways! Draco silently cursed her. She could have thought up a better way of bringing inter house unity to the school without involving muggle plays for Merlin's sake. So what if it was the most famous play in muggle history? Who cared? They were wizards and witches, magical folk; muggles should have no bearing on their lives whatsoever.

But no, Granger had her way just as he had silently predicted that she would and now the bossy Gryffindor was the director of the Hogwart's production of Romeo and Juliet; and he had been landed with the staring role of Romeo. He didn't want the bloody part, he didn't want to be involved, but McGonagall had fixed him with a steely eyed stared and he had cowed beneath it and took the script from Granger with a grimace. The only saving grace was that Potter and Weasley had also been drafted into taking part and not behind the scenes as Weasley had suggested, they were to perform in the play too.

Draco had to grudgingly admire Granger's cunning though, she had cast Potter in the role of Mercutio, Romeo's best friend. It was inevitable therefore that he and Potter had to spend time together to rehearse, they had to speak to each other whether they liked it or not.

Potter he could just about deal with. He could see for himself that Potter was dreading the whole concept of the play and it gave Draco a little boost to be able to lord it over Potter, too long had Potter held the power in the war between them, between Slytherin and Gryffindor; especially now that he was vindicated now it had been proved that the Dark Lord was back.

Either way, it was bloody humiliating to be bossed about by Granger and have to take part in her rotten production, but Draco was stuck with it and although he grouched about it to anyone who would listen there was a part of him that thrilled when he thought about his Juliet.

The rain started to pick up, falling faster and harder until it started to bounce off the floor of the balcony. Wiping water off his face Draco retreated into the castle, leaning his shoulder on the door frame he watched the rain fall. It seemed to him that rain had been falling in his life a lot lately all dark and dismal; rain from his eyes, from his mother's eyes. All rain, never any sun.

"Hello Draco."

The soft voice made him jump, so engrossed had he been in his own thoughts he hadn't been aware of anyone approaching him. "What?" he snapped irritably. It was Juliet.

Luna Lovegood blinked slowly, as though she had trouble processing that one simple word. "Hermione asked me to look for you. Rehearsal has started, she's doing the fight scene between Harry and Blaise at the moment."

The fact that Granger had cast a Slytherin in the role of Potter's killer always made Draco smile. Granger was smart, there was no denying it; he would however deny it with his dying breath.

"Hermione said that she wants us to go over the balcony scene and the scene at the Capulet's."

"Does she?" Draco strove for nonchalance.

They were performing the whole play, it was inevitable that Granger would schedule in the kissing scene at some point. Granger had said this was a world famous play, that everyone in the muggle world could quote from it. She said it was the most romantic story in the world; but to Draco it was the catalyst that would allow him to kiss Luna Lovegood.

"Hum," Luna looked past him over his shoulder to the iron -grey sky outside. "She said she would clear the hall so that it would be just us."

"Right," Draco flexed his fingers and rubbed his sweaty palms against his leg. "Shall we go then?" It would never do for Luna to think him nervous, for her to suspect he felt anything towards her except contempt.

"Oh," Luna gazed at him for a few moments, "I suppose we should, if you're ready."

"I'm ready," Draco pushed himself off the door frame. "Might as well get it over with, the sooner we start the sooner I can get on with my day."

"If you like, Draco," she smiled easily before turning away and making her way down the corridor towards the Great Hall. "Are you coming?" she called over her shoulder.

"Yes," he snapped, striding after her, his eyes riveted on the light sway of her hips as she walked, the creamy skin of the backs of her thighs and the way her skirt brushed her legs; such lovely slender legs, Draco allowed himself a brief moment of indulgence as he delved into one of his favorite fantasies that involved those legs wrapped around him, holding him tightly, refusing to let him go.

Draco shook his head to clear it, he couldn't risk thinking about those kind of things right now, not when he was going to be kissing Luna very soon. His body stirred in anticipation at that very thought.

They entered the Great Hall a few minutes later and Draco looked around in surprise, his mouth stupidly agape. The hall was filled with students of all ages in all manner of costume and makeup.

Pansy Parkinson was standing with her hands on her hips barking orders at the unfortunate people who were on the decorations committee, Pansy had snagged the job of art director and no matter what he might think of her Draco had to admit the girl had an eye for colours and she was currently in the process of explaining in a shrill voice to Longbottom just why the flower arrangements he had prepared did not meet her expectations.

Potter was on the makeshift stage a large floppy red hat perched jauntily on his head, a sword in one hand and a copy of the play in the other. Opposite him in a long green cloak also with a sword and a copy of the play with Blaise Zabini.

Granger stood at the foot of the stage, quill tucked behind her ear and the ever present clipboard in her hands. "Now, I've marked out your routine with chalk crosses on the stage, hit them like I showed you, lunge at Harry and try not to actually stab him this time."

"I didn't mean to stab him the last time," Blaise exclaimed. "The way you're going on about it anyone would think I did it on purpose."

"You wouldn't have stabbed him at all if you'd listened to me in the first place," Hermione replied primly. "Now, action!"

"Hermione! I have a problem with my costume," Ron Weasley emerged from behind a large painted background of a castle.

"Not now, Ron," Hermione waved her hand at him irritably. "Harry, I said action."

"Oh, right, yeah. Hold on," Harry flipped the parchment back to the correct page. "Um,...Good King of Cats, nothing but one of your nine lives; that I mean to make bold withal, and as you, um...as you... shall use me hereafter, dry beat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his ... um... his... his...pilcher by the ears? make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out."

"I am for you," Blaise drew his sword, cursing when it tangled itself up in his cloak.

Ginny Weasley suddenly appeared clearly a stand in Romeo, "Is it necessary that I'm up here, Hermione?"

"Yes!" Hermione snapped, "I need to see it play out to make sure it's right and my Romeo has gone walk about. You'll just have to muck in Ginny, now say Draco's line."

Ginny sighed heavily, letting Hermione know she felt extremely put upon, but she delivered the short line anyway. "Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up."

"This play is so stupid," Ron said from beside Hermione, fiddling with the long cloak he was wearing that fell in giant festoons over his arm and trailed around his feet causing him to constantly trip up. "I didn't understand a single word Harry just said."

"Oh will you hush?" Hermione shot him an exasperated look. "I'm trying to choreograph this fight."

"I am hurt." Harry cried out a few moments later, clutching dramatically at his side and making Ginny snigger. "A plague o' both your houses!" He waved his sword around dangerously causing both Ginny and Blaise to duck back out of the way. "I am sped. Is he gone, and hath nothing?"

"Harry," Hermione said patiently. "You are by far the worst Mercutio I have ever seen."

"I can't act, Hermione, I told you that before we started this thing."

"Too bad about that," Hermione retorted, "you're staying in the play."

"Damn it," Harry hissed through his teeth.

"Granger, I have a problem with my character?" Blaise said stepping to the edge of the stage.

"What is it? Be quick," Hermione said spotting Luna and Draco and waving them over.

"I think maybe he should come back at the end, a nice surprise, a little unforseen twist?"

"You die, Blaise," Hermione reminded him distractedly. "Where have you two been? Get on that stage we have work to do. We'll do the balcony scene first. Harry, move," she made little shooing motions with her hands.

"Gladly."

"Maybe I don't really die," Blaise was kneeling on the edge of the stage now trying to catch Hermione's eye. "Maybe..."

"You die," she replied shortly. "You can't re-write Shakespeare for goodness sake. Get off the stage. Draco, don't go disappearing again you hold everyone up. Luna, go and see Lavender once we've finished she wants to check something about your costume."

"Speaking of costumes, about mine," Ron began, his tone indicating that he was all set up to complain. He didn't manage to get any further as Hermione turned on him furiously.

"If you don't stop complaining about inconsequential things I'm going to hex you good!"

Harry clapped a hand on Ron's shoulder. "You'd better leave it until later," he advised.

Hermione was in full flow now, directing Draco and Luna onto the stage. She felt they were the perfect combination of innocence on Luna's part and outright defiance on Draco's. They looked well together too, although she hadn't noticed that until recently; and there was something, something she couldn't quite put her finger on, sizzling just beneath the surface of Luna's dreamy face and Draco's cool facade.

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?" Draco began at Hermione's gentle insistence.

"Guess now isn't a good time to ask her to change my name either."

"At least everyone can say your name," Harry said.

"It's bloody Paris! I sound like a girl," Ron complained gloomily.

"RON!" Hermione bellowed angrily. "Will you shut up! You're ruining a perfectly wonderful romantic scene."

"How romantic can it be? Malfoy's in it."

"I'm warning you," she pointed her finger threateningly at him.

Draco barely heard the exchange he went through his lines with his eyes on Luna, speaking directly to her, baring his soul under the guise of Romeo. He had read the whole play through a few times and while he didn't always completely understand what was being said, he did understand the basic principle of it. Juliet was the bright spot in Romeo's otherwise dull and predictable life, just the way Luna was for him. She was so completely different to the girls in his circle, she was completely different to anyone he had ever met before; that was what fascinated him about her.

"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet."

Her voice was soft and subtle, flowing over him, surrounding him like the sweetest music. Her lips were pale pink he noted and the desire to kiss her surged through him stronger than anything he had felt before.

He shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other, his lips moving automatically speaking his own lines trying desperately to find something else other than her to concentrate on.

Luna gazed up at him with those large dreamy eyes, her hand stretching out to touch his arm lightly. "And the place death, considering who thou art, If any of my kinsmen find thee here."

"Go kinsmen!" Dean Thomas whooped from the crowd of students who had ceased their own activities to gather in front of the stage and watch the scene unfold. Laughter bubbled up amongst the Gryffindor's drawing anger out in the Slytherin's and suddenly everyone was shouting at everyone else.

Hermione ground her teeth together, the entire mood was ruined. "That's it, everyone out! You two stay there," she pointed at Draco and Luna. "Ginny, help me get everyone out of here, I can't judge the scene with people making stupid comments all the time and moaning about names and costumes."

"Does that mean I can go as well?" Ginny asked hopefully.

"Yes, just help me first."

Draco sighed heavily, looking away from Luna and tuning out the bossy voice of Granger as he glanced towards the window. The rain still hadn't let up, the large windows of the Great Hall were stained with water, all smudged and blurry, and the day had gone so dark it appeared to be early evening instead of the afternoon. It was a depressing sight, much like his life these days with his father tucked away in Azkaban and his ever present lust to contend with.

Luna shifted beside him, the scent of peaches suddenly strong in the air and Draco's body tightened a little bit more. For an instant he entertained the idea of leaving the Hall and going to stand in the downpour outside, surely the icy cold rain from nature itself would do something to wash away this burning lust that was completely unnatural.

"Alright," Hermione returned to the stage having successfully sent everyone away. She ran a hand across her sweaty forehead, pushing at the mad frizzy strands of hair that had escaped their tight braid. "Let's continue shall we? Just forget I'm here, I won't interrupt unless I have to. Luna, go up to the balcony will you, you won't be next to Draco when we do this for real."

Luna smiled, totally unaffected by the bossing which set Draco's teeth on edge. She left the stage and he heard her feet on the wooden steps hidden behind the large set of a balcony Seamus Finnegan had produced. She appeared a moment later gazing down at him from the fake balcony. "I'm ready when you are, Draco."

He swallowed. "Hum, right. From where we left off then, Granger? Get it done quicker?"

Hermione glowered, "Shakespeare is not to be done quickly, Draco. We'll go from the top."

Draco hid his smile of satisfaction, he knew Granger and her love for this play well enough by now to know that suggesting skipping over things or hurrying things along was enough to make her go back to the beginning determined to do it right. He gave her an annoyed look and a disgruntled sigh, best for her to think he was irritated rather than enjoying himself immensely.

Hermione smiled, her eyes shining as she watched the two star crossed lovers in the world famous balcony scene. She had been right in her casting, no other two students could have captured her imagination like these two; they had such natural chemistry. Perfectly cast. She sighed happily; her play would be a success and everyone would think that Draco Malfoy and Luna Lovegood could act their little socks off. She however knew differently.

"Wonderful!" She clapped enthusiastically. "Come on down, Luna and we'll go back to the Capulet's Act one Scene five. We'll ignore the first part for now, just start after Tybalt exits."

Draco swallowed nervously, willing his body to behave. He glanced down at the script in his hand although he didn't need to look at it he knew his lines by heart. He might not be totally happy about being in the play, but if he was going to do something and in front of the whole school too, he was going to do it right. Draco Malfoy didn't make a fool of himself!

"If I profane with my unworthiest hand, This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." He hardly heard the rising wind that slashed the rain against the window pane, his blood was roaring too loudly in his ears; it was coming up, any minute now and he would get to kiss her.

Draco's eyes bored into hers so intently that Luna's hand shook and her tongue tripped over her words. It was almost as if her world consisted only of his eyes; deep, dark and mysterious.

Her voice a quite whisper, Luna looked up at Draco through her lashes, "Then have my lips the sin that they have took."

Luna's head tipped back offering him her lips as Draco moved into her body and Hermione sat on the edge of her seat leaning forward eagerly.

His mouth touched hers, a light whispered caress; he felt Luna shiver against him her hands reaching up to fist blindly in his shirt as her lips parted invitingly. Placing one hand lightly on her waist Draco drew her closer letting her feel the length of his body against her own and he nearly groaned when he felt her respond to him and kiss him back.

When the need to breathe became too pressing Draco broke the kiss, satisfaction surging through him at the flushed cheeks and dazed eyes that looked back at him. "Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again." His voice was rough when he spoke, full of raw emotion Draco could do nothing to hide, but Luna didn't seem to notice, she merely tightened her hold on him and swung up onto her tip toes displaying her total willingness to kiss him again.

Their lips met for a second time, one large hand creeping up to cup her face, stroking along her cheek, his thumb gently tracing her jaw. Draco let go, let all his pent up emotions into the kiss while keeping a tight hold of his raging lust, this was not the time or the place to let _that _out!

Draco could feel the cotton of his school shirt straining from his shoulders as Luna's small hands gripped the material tighter and he felt rather than heard her let out a small moan. His fingers flexed against her waist, his tongue delving into her mouth to taste and touch and explore and just when he thought he might explode a loud crash sounded in his ears and Luna jerked from him gasping for breath, her eyes wide with surprise.

Luna blinked at him uncertainly for a moment before turning her head towards the source of the noise. "Hermione? Are you ok?"

Draco followed her line of vision and it was a testament as to how confused and flustered and completely aroused he was that he couldn't think of one single scathing comment to make to Hermione Granger who had upended her chair and landed on the floor.

"Fine," Hermione blushed as she scrambled to her feet. "I sat too far on the end of the chair and toppled over. I'm not hurt." Picking up her clipboard and quill she brushed herself off trying her best not to appear flustered at what she had just witnessed. "Maybe… maybe we should just stop there for today?"

"Are you sure?" Luna was at the end of the stage now, running a critical eye over Hermione's flushed and embarrassed face.

"Yes, I mean, if you want to continue yourselves then that's fine, I'd encourage you to do that, but I have to get on. I have to speak to Lavender about the costumes and Ernie about the music. You know how he gets, he likes everything to be just so and the sooner I sort him out the better. But of course, don't let me stop you, you carry on,"

Luna watched Hermione with an incredulous expression on her face as her friend backed away from the stage as though it might suddenly come alive and attack her.

"I'll see you later, Luna. Good job, Draco." She nodded at them and spun on her heel, hurrying across the room to the door.

"Well, that was odd," Luna said, turning to face Draco for confirmation. "Don't you think?" she persisted when Draco didn't look as though he were going to speak.

Draco barely noticed that Luna and spoken at all, somewhere between the first kiss and the second the rain had eased and light, gentle beams of white sunlight peeked from between the heavy grey clouds, slanting down upon the windows of Hogwarts, shining into the Great Hall and highlighting the dust moats dancing in the air. The sun struck the back of Luna's head, reflecting off her hair and giving the impression of a halo around her head and Draco could understand more fully now this annoying sense of desire that gripped him whenever she was around.

"That's mud-bloods for you," he responded his voice still thick with repressed lust.

"Hum, must be the nargles," Luna said, her lips pursing in thought.

Draco's lips twitched into an unwilling smile. She really was the bright spot in a dull day.

**AN: Obviously I don't take credit for the lines of Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet dialogue. **


	6. Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars

There was a very light breeze this night, it lifted the loose tendrils of dirty blonde hair around Luna Lovegood's face and they drifted into her eyes and across her cheeks. Luna didn't mind, she liked the cooling breeze. Her large, silvery blue eyes stared up at the sky from where she leant in the Astronomy Tower of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, her arms crossed on the grey stone window sill.

She was waiting, patiently and quietly for the shooting stars that were meant to appear tonight. Luna was certain that she had calculated correctly, she knew a lot about the sky and stars and constellations, she was sure there was would shooting stars tonight.

On the floor beside her legs, back against the wall, long legs stretched out in front of him and fidgeting was Draco Malfoy. He was less sure that there would be shooting stars. Comets, hurricanes, meteors, they could be predicted; Draco was sure that shooting stars could not. He kept his own counsel however bored he might be, Luna had her heart set on shooting stars and just maybe she would prove him wrong. She usually did.

"You didn't happen to get a time with your calculations did you? My ass is going to sleep."

Luna smiled, "no, Draco. I couldn't do that. You can go back to the Slytherin common room if you like, you don't have to wait up here with me."

"I'll wait," he replied firmly. Draco didn't like Luna being out of the Ravenclaw Common room by herself at night, not with the Carrow's in charge of Hogwarts now he didn't know what form her punishment would take for being out of bed after hours but he knew with the same certainty he knew the sky was blue that it wouldn't be good.

"You're sweet," she bestowed a fond little look and smile at him.

Draco grumbled under his breath. "Am not." He didn't want her thinking he was some sort of push over, although he did give in to her and regularly even when, like tonight, he knew it was foolish and dangerous. At least if he was with her Luna stood a chance at receiving nothing more than a row for breaking school rules and maybe a little detention, but nothing too severe. He was after all, a Death Eater just like the people in charge of the school and therefore he qualified for special treatment. Draco liked special treatment, he always had done, it just proved that he was superior to others.

"It will be our little secret," she said in a whisper.

Draco smiled in spite of himself.

"I don't see why you don't do that more often."

"Do what?"

"Smile," she said simply. "You're ever so nice when you smile, Draco." She laughed when he glowered at her and she turned back to surveying the night sky.

The sky was an endless fascination for Luna, although lately she had found a new obsession to replace it; Draco Malfoy.

It had all been quite innocent and accidental when she had kissed him that first time. She had not been looking for anything from him, it was simply a thank you gesture for his assistance, he had scared off a couple of Slytherin girls whose teasing was rather getting out of hand. Draco had said that he had done it because he didn't need the hassle of dealing with an investigation by Snape if something had happened to her and he most certainly didn't want to have the Malfoy named mixed up in some ridiculous prank gone wrong. He had purely selfish motives.

Luna didn't doubt that for a second. From everything she had seen of Draco up until that moment it appeared he was very selfish and she had bluntly told him so and then she had kissed his cheek, but he had moved at the same time, ready to lay into her about her remark and they had missed kissed.

Awkward: definitely.

Surprising: certainly.

Exciting: definitely.

Especially when he had grabbed her forearms and held her still when he kissed her properly. That had been the most wonderful of all.

Since that moment they seemed to run into each other all the time, and each time had resulted in secret snatched kisses; wonderful, delicious kisses that left her breathless and wanting more.

Perhaps, Luna mused as she pushed a tendril of hair out of her eyes, perhaps they sought each other out without ever admitting it to each other or to themselves. She liked the idea of them being subconsciously drawn to each other, it appealed to the romantic in her.

"You don't like astronomy, do you, Draco?" It was more of an observation than an actual question, but Luna posed it as one anyway.

"No, it's a lot of crap," Draco replied. "Just like divination."

"That's a tricky one."

Her response frustrated him; a lot of Luna's responses frustrated him. To Draco everything was black and white, but Luna liked the grey. She couldn't give him a straight answer to something she always had to talk in riddles.

"Why?" he always found himself asking that question even when he resolutely told himself he didn't care. Somehow Luna always managed to make him ask "why".

"The Sight is a gift, a very rare and special gift. Not everyone has it. There are some aspects of divination that can be taught and can be used by all witches and wizards because we have magic in our blood. But the Sight, that's something that is only bestowed on special people, those who deserve it." Luna gave a little sigh, "I wish I had it."

"Maybe you do," Draco said feeling generous. "If I had to bet on anyone I know having the Sight I'd put my money on you."

"That's nice of you. But no, I don't think I have it. I think it would have started to develop by now."

"Maybe you're right," Draco agreed. Somehow he had drifted towards her, Luna didn't remember him getting to his feet, but he was close to her now, hovering over her.

"I am?"

"Hum," he reached out and quietly undid the first button of paisley blouse she worse. "If you had the Sight you'd know how dangerous it is for you to be up here with me."

"That would have been handy." There was a slight quaver to her voice.

He undid the second button and the blouse, a size too large for her, sagged off her shoulder exposing her bra. She took and unsteady breath and automatically reached to pull her blouse back together.

"No." Draco's voice was low and deep; commanding, and Luna's hands still of their own accord.

His fingers brushed the top of her breast, soft feather-light touches and he watched with satisfaction as gooseflesh popped out over her skin and she caught her bottom lip between her teeth.

Bending his head Draco brushed his lips over her breast finding her hardened nipple easily through the fabric of her bra and tugging lightly with his teeth. He was rewarded with a soft gasp and her fingers gripping hold of his shoulder.

Lifting his head Draco sought out her eyes, large and dreamy, looking distinctly fuzzy. He held her gaze while he wrapped her slender fingers around the hem of her skirt and drew her hand upwards taking the skirt with her.

Her lips parted to say something, to protest, "We can't…." but he forestalled all protests when he knelt before her, eyes still holding hers and warm hands stroking firmly up her thighs.

Luna wasn't sure what it was about Draco Malfoy that rendered her totally helpless and insensible, but he did it to her and it appeared, without hardly trying and he fascinated her.

A soft kiss against the top of her thigh brought Luna out of her thoughts and she blinked rapidly down at him, watching the beam of moonlight that fell through the window highlight every white blonde streak of his hair until it almost glowed.

She could feel the barest of touches as he traced the seam of her underwear and Draco heard her breath catch. He glanced up at her, "This won't hurt, I promise." He pushed aside the prim white knickers, parting her with his thumbs and Luna gave a startled squeak at the feeling of his warm mouth against her.

Luna had thought in her naïve and innocent day dreams that there wasn't a feeling in the world that could rival Draco's kisses, but he was proving her wrong.

Draco tasted her with slow, languid movements, he didn't want to overload her, didn't want to rush her, didn't want to loose his control. She was ripe and sweet, and his hands tightened on her hips at the fleeting thought that she was his, in that moment she was all his. It was his name that fell from her lips in that dreamy husky voice, it was his hair the fingers of her free hand burrowed in and it was him she was opening up to with low moans and throaty sighs.

When his tongue slipped inside her Luna trembled, her nails scratching at his scalp. When his thumb pressed to the hard bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs and stroked gently she let out a shuddering breath and squirmed.

"Easy," Draco's voice was a low rumble.

"Too much," she whimpered as he stroked the overly sensitive nerves again.

"Not yet," he promised and returned to his task, getting lost in her all over again.

Luna's eyes closed and her head fell back against the stone wall. She experienced her first orgasm with a sharp cry and bucking of her hips, a pleasure like nothing she had felt before washed through her and Luna was glad of Draco's hands on the backs of her legs holding her upright.

She watched Draco rise to his feet, he winced slightly and rubbed at his knee the stone floor was hard and cold. He leant into her, tracing her jaw with the tip of his index finger. "Not so selfish now, am I?" he teased lightly.

"No," she replied, getting lost in the deep well of silver that were his eyes; all smoky and hot.

"You're shooting stars never made an appearance after all."

"I wouldn't say that," Luna said.

"I didn't see any," Draco looked surprised.

"Well no, you wouldn't have," Luna replied reasonably. "Shooting stars aren't always in the sky, Draco."

He looked confused and frustrated all at once and Luna patted his arm kindly. She had not only seen shooting stars behind her closed eyelids when Draco brought her to the very brink, but as she had toppled over she had felt them in her blood.

She could explain herself but Luna thought that might make him a little too conceited, and Draco was conceited enough as it was without her adding to it.


	7. Mist

Mist

Draco sat at his bedroom window in Malfoy Manor staring out at the vast grounds that would some day be his and his alone. The night was dark, drops of moisture beaded the window pane and his breath fogged up the glass.

From his window Draco could see the mountains and a white mist hovered over them like froth on a coffee, lingering and swirling. It had moved down from the mountains too darkening the closer to the land it came, crossing over the fields and the trees, and creeping into the grounds of his home like a live thing. It moved slowly, like a fierce predator that was in no rush because it knew it was going to consume its prey eventually.

Draco watched as the mist, thicker now that it was so close to him, curled itself around the large oak tree in the garden like a serpent. It inched its way along the perfectly manicured lawn, smoky tendrils reaching out, feeling their way like dark fingers. Draco shuddered and retreated from the glass a little, the mist looked so dark, so thick, so dense, as though it would swallow whole everything in its path and consume the world.

He turned his head, his eyes instinctively drawn to the figure on his bed. Draco knew what it was like to be consumed and he didn't like it one little bit. To be consumed with lust, with love, might be alright it would probably feel a lot better than how he was feeling right now.

Draco was consumed with desire; the desire to control, the desire to possess. Depraved desires that caught him up in a maelstrom and twisted his mind just the way his fingers would twist her nipple just so to make her cry out in pain and arch towards him at the same time in a silent plea for more.

She lay there on his bed dirty blonde hair plastered to her head, a pink flush in her cheeks and her arms tied neatly above her head. Her eyes; those wide spaced silvery grey eyes watched him, tracking every move he made.

If someone had told him that he would one day have Luna Lovegood tied to his head board waiting patiently for the next round of pain and pleasure Draco would never in his wildest dreams have believed them. But she seemed to crave him in much the same way he craved her.

He needed to be in control of something, he needed to lash out against this feeling of uselessness that hounded him; so he controlled her, lashed out at her; and she accepted it. Every depraved thing he had done to her she accepted it. Draco had never asked her why she accepted it, he just assumed that Luna liked it rough. He knew that he did. He hadn't known that before. Draco was discovering a lot of new things about himself. Not much of which he liked.

Luna watched Draco with avid interest, he looked like a man on the edge and she hoped he would release his frustrations soon; her nerves were stretched taunt waiting for him.

Draco was the bright spot in her otherwise dull existence in the basement of Malfoy Manor. It was a strange thing to think about the boy who hurt her, but he never used her body for his own end; they shared their pleasure as they shared their pain. Draco just didn't realise it yet.

Luna found that when she had Draco inside her she could focus wholly on him and the bittersweet world of pain and pleasure he took her to. It was easier to accept her situation as a captive of the Death Eaters that way, when she had a chance to escape it every so often.

She shifted on the bed, the cotton of the Slytherin tie rubbing against her wrists. It had taken Luna a little while to work out why exactly Draco physically tied her when he could just as easily use magic to keep her in place. But then she had come to realise that he tied her because he chose to do so. He had made a choice. Luna understood, even though Draco had ever said anything that it was probably one of the very few choices he was able to make in his life at the moment.

The tie, Luna mused, probably just gave him a little kick.

Draco came to stand at the foot of the bed his eyes trailing up her body, noting the dark finger marks on her hips and the bruising to her skin. Strangely, the sight of his mark on her did not excite him, it didn't depress him either, it just gave him a feeling of satisfaction knowing that at some point in the last day or so he had been in control of something.

Luna's legs parted invitingly, and Draco had a moment of stark clarity where he realised that they did so because that was her choice. Luna accepted him into her body because she chose to. He was the only choice she had, she could choose to accept him or she could choose not to. She always chose to accept him no matter how roughly he treated her or what shameless, licentious words he spilled into her ear.

He crawled onto the bed between her legs. He could quite easily fit his fingers to the marks on her hips, but Draco took great pains to position his fingers around those mark in order to make new ones. Luna wouldn't mind, she would probably welcome it, she got off on the pain just as he did.

He shifted over her, pressing his knee between her legs and Luna watched him as she rubbed against him, looking for that relief he was so good at giving her. Draco bent his head and took her nipple into his mouth closing his teeth around the hardened bud. He didn't bite, but he did tug; sharply and she gave a small cry, her body bucking up towards him. By now he knew what to do to ensure she was ready for him and Draco had discovered that letting her wait for him all bound to the bed did a great deal in ensuring she was ready for him.

Thoughtfully, Draco took the candle from the bedside table and brought it to hover over her. Luna watched him, eyes bright in the light of the flame. Luna could feel the heat of the flame against her skin as he brought the candle closer to her, she didn't for a moment believe he would burn her, Draco never did anything that could really and truly hurt or damage her.

Luna gave a startled cry of pain when Draco upended the candle and let a blob of wax drip down onto her bare skin. He waited, watching her, but she didn't object, she wiggled a little but that was it. He did it again, against her shoulder and Luna hissed, the sharp heat of the wax hitting her skin was momentary, just enough to let her feel something and keep her attention on Draco, trying to guess what he would do next.

Draco appeared to realise that, he used his wand to lengthen the tie and wrap it around her eyes, taking away her sight. The move pleased both of them for different reasons; Draco because he had more control and Luna because she could totally focus on each new spark of pain that he gave her. It was the only time she seemed to feel anything at all. She did wonder sometimes if she had lost her hope and that was why she felt nothing until she was with Draco, but Luna didn't examine the thought too closely, for once she was happy to avoid the truth if at all possible. It wasn't like her, but then she wasn't in a normal circumstance.

It was almost easier to believe that she had lost all hope than to face the truth that she enjoyed this depravity for some other reason.

Draco spent some time on his new pass time, he experimented with the height of the candle from her skin, sometimes holding it close so the wax was doubly hot, sometimes letting the wax fall from above so that it had a chance to cool a little by the time it hit her skin. He varied his pattern, from her shoulders, to her chest to her stomach and even on her legs and hips. She never knew where he was going to hit her next; complete control.

Luna gave a loud cry when the wax dropped onto her nipple and she squirmed beneath him, moaning softly as she found the friction she required against his knee. He was hard and aching and desperate to be inside her.

Sometimes it almost seemed as though a mist had come over him all icy and dense, blocking out everything that had once been good about him and leaving him in the dark where these corrupt thoughts and needs were the only things he had left to use to cling to his humanity at all.

For reasons unknown to him Draco happened to glance towards the window. The mist had risen now and was swirling around outside his bedroom window, floating there like a ghost. It frightened him although Draco couldn't say exactly why.

With a hard thrust of his hips Draco was inside her and Luna cried out in surprised pleasure. His hands gripped her tightly, his fingers embedding into her soft flesh, leaving their imprints behind. He drove home inside her, each thrust harder than the last one until he practically forced her body as far up the bed as it would go and her head knocked against the headboard every now and then.

Again Draco's attention wandered to the window although he never broke his stride. Once he got going he didn't stop until he was crying out his release, spilling inside her while she gripped him tightly and screamed his name.

The mist seemed to be pressing up against the window now, looking for a way in. Draco already knew what it was like to live with the mist, it was inside his head all the time.

He had been so lost, so alone, so completely out of control; an impenetrable mist drifting over his life all heavy and clogging; consuming him until Draco had no idea where to turn or who to trust. He had felt almost entombed.

He still felt lost but he was no longer alone. He still felt out of control but he now knew what to do to rectify that.

"Draco!" Luna's voice penetrated his mind, her inner muscles clamping down hard.

He controlled her.


End file.
